Route shopping is when you take a long list of shops to be done on the same trip (! day or many days), use a mapping program to find the most efficient driving route, estimate the amount of time each shop should take to make sure you can reach your desired destination by your preferred "off the clock" time. Try it with 3 shops in one day; then with 4; then with 5, etc. Negotiate with or just tell schedulers that you are doing a route and will need deadline extensions, as needed. Once you have done this successfully for a 1 day route, you may want to try one where you will be gone overnight, using a hotel shop or an Airbnb for cheap lodging.
Tips: on a one day route, start with the shop farthest from home and work your way home. That not only provides the psychological boost of knowing that you will "soon" be home, but also, if you need to postpone a shop or two, that/those will be the ones closest to home, so not such a chore to pick them up the next opportunity. For multi-day shops, try to avoid booking lunch shops. They require adherence to a time window and delays WILL happen. Take water and snacks with you even on a 1 day route.
There is always a great workshop on the IMSC conference program on starting route shopping.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.